Coupling.



J. WILLISON.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1913.

1,162,271, Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6.1913- 1,162,271. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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COUPLING.

APPLICATlON FILED FEB. 6, 1913.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- srsn JOHN WILLISON, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNQR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTING-S COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COUPLING.

Application filed. February 6, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN l/VILLISON,.a subject of the King of England, and a resident of Derby, county of Derby, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal section of my improved coupler; Fig. 1 is a plan thereof; Fig. 2 is a section on lines 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. l with the knuckle in open position; Fig. 4: is a section on lines H of Fig. 1, but with the lock in lock-set position; Fig. 5 is a section on lines 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section on lines 66 of Fig. 1 showing the parts in locked position; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on lines 77 of Fig. 2; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are details of the locking block.

My invention relates to an automatic car coupler of the vertical plane type and comprising a knuckle which is adapted to swing on a pivot pin carried by the coupler head and to be locked in the closed position by means of a locking block adapted to be lifted vertically and then to swing or tilt on to a lock set ledge formed in the coupler head whereby the knuckle becomes unlocked and free to be swung into an open position.

The main object of the invention is to provide a coupler of greater strength and durability than those at present in use, in combination with mechanism adapted both to lift the lock so as to free the knuckle and to turn the latter not only to the full open position but also in a manner to have, during the first portion of the knuckle opening movement, the nose of the knuckle, for a longer period than heretofore, in close proximity with the contour or face of the usual coupler guard arm, so that the coupler may better withstand the effects of wear and tear on the several parts.

According to my invention the knuckle or pivot pin is moved to a more forward position, that is to say farther away from the inner front contour or face of the coupler head, than has been the case hitherto with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Serial No. 746,559.

the relative distance between the knuckle in the closed or locked position and guard arm is better'maintained when the coupler becomes worn than is the case with couplers having knuckles pivoted in a more rearward position." The several parts are, moreover, so designated that the pivot pin and its supporting ears are relieved of pulling strain by transmitting the draft stresses directly through the knuckle tail to the locking block and thence to thedraw head in the direction of the line of draft. Such forward position of the pivot pin of the knuckle has heretofore been impracticable with couplers having known opening mechanism, since the tail of a knuckle so pivoted will, when the knuckle moves open to-its full extent, travel to a position outside the coupler and beyond the reach of the said opening mechanism. In moving the pivot to a forward position 1 have consequently had to devise suitable mechanism for working the lock and moving in a positive manner the knuckle to its full open position.

Referring to the drawings, A is the coupler head, B is the knuckle, C the lock, D the lock lifter and E the knuckle opener. The lock C, which is of heavy cross-section to enable it to withstand the draft stresses, has locking surfaces 2 and 3 substantially at right angles to each other. When the knuckle B and lock C are in locked position as is indicated in Fig. l, the pulling stresses are transmitted through the pulling lug i, of the knuckle tail to the recessed face 5 of the lock C and to the coupler head A by the locking faces 2 and 3 which bear against corresponding surfaces 6 and 7 formed on the side wall 8 and front face of the coupler cavity. The surface 6 is substantially parallel to the line of draft; while the surfaces 7, which occur above and below the coupler mouth, extend laterally on either side of the line of draft XX. The'lock C has a longitudinallyprojecting portion or guide 9 which cooperates with the recess lO in the side wall 8 of the coupler head, which acts as a guide for the lock during its vertical movement. The knuckle opener E has a forwardly extending arm 11 having a lug 12 thereon which cooperates with a horlzontal recess 13 in the upper portion of the knuckle tail and arearwardly extending arm 1% so shaped as to comprise a floating fulcrum 15 within the shank of the coupler, and about which the opener is adapted to be turned.

. The lock lifter D has a depending leg 16 which extends downwardly through the opening in the bottom of the coupler cavity. Upon the leg 16, is the lug 17 which cooperates with the guideway 18 on the underside of the coupler head to guide the lifter in a vertical direction. Upon the heel of the lifter are the trunnings 19 which operate 1 in the slide 20, adjacent the guideway 18,

and are rotated therein on the trunnion bearings 21, when the lifter has been raised sufficiently to enable the lug 17 to clear the guideway 18 as is best shown in Fig. 2. The lifter may be operated by any suitable means, such as a chain or other flexible member, indicated diagrammatically at 29 (Fig. 2) and connected to the eye 22 in the lower end of the lifter. To permit the lifter D to rise vertically without interference with the opener E, the latter has a U-shaped central portion 23 for the reception of the head 24 of the lifter, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

As the lifter is raised, its head 2% contacts with the projection 25 of the lock and lifts the lock vertically out of locking engagementwith the knuckle tail. As soon as the lock C is released from engagement with the knuckle tail by reason of its pivotal support on the top of the lifter D, its undercut I shoulder 26 will. be automatically tilted onto Y shaped portion 23.

the lock-set ledge 27 which extends longitudinally of the coupler cavity as is shown in Fig. 4. If the pull on the eye 22 of the lifter is continued until the lug 17 is disen gaged from the guide-way 18 it will begin to swing on the trunnions 19 thereby serving as a lever for operating the opener E by engaging the side 'of the opener E in the U A further swinging movement of the lifter throws the head 24: of the lifter to the right, thus moving the opener E and causing it to turn on the vertical axis of its floating fulcrum 15 and with itsforward arm 11 to rotate the knuckle B, on its pivot pin F, from its closed position into the full open position. When the knuckle is unlocked by reason of the lock being lifted sufiiciently to allow it to swing onto the locksset ledge 27 it will be free to openby a further movement of the lifter D andthe consequent actuation of the opener E, th k uckle-will of course. also .open o a pull being applied to it as the cars draw apart. When the lifter D is raised sufficiently to turn on its trunnions 19 it will swing transversely of the coupler and under the rear side of the projection 25 on the lock G, as is shown in the dotted line position of Fig. 2, and when the pull on the lifter is released, the lifter will turn back on its trunnions 19, and its lug 17 will re'e'nter the guide-way 1S, and it will fall back and assume its initial lower or inoperative position. As the opener E is not attached to the lifter D it'remains in the position in which it has been pushed by the lifter, until the knuckle B is again closed, by which movement it is returned to its initial position, and such movement of the opener will turn thelifter into vertical position so that it will be free to drop in its guide-way to its lowermost position if the lifter is not already occupying the same.

The locking block is formed on its under side with a beveled face 28 under which the opener E, while the knuckle is swinging into the open position, passes, whereby the block is raised by the opener, from ofi the locksetledge 27 and carried laterally clear thereof. In Fig. a the block is shown in a position where it is about to be raised from off the ledge 27 ready for translation by the opener. As the opener subsequently returns, on the knuckle closing, the block, new resting upon the opener, is moved back at a level lower than that of the ledge, and as soon as the knuckle reaches its closed position the locking block becomes free to fall vertically in front of the knuckle tail and thus locks the knuckle in that position, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that when the locking block has been lifted from off the ledge 27 and transle ted by the opener it cannot descend to its lower position until the opener has moved away from underneath it and back into the position it assumes when the knuckle is in the closed position. Accordingly, as long as the knuckle is open and the opener pushed or drawn over as in Fig. 3, the block is retained in a raised position and thereby prevented from falling into its locking or operative position behind the knuckle tail. By reason of the engagement of the lug 12 on the opener E with the recess 13 in the knuckle tail, the opening and closing movement of the knuckle will automatically control the lateral movement of the opener.

The chain for raising the lifter D and se cured in its eye 22 passes upward through an inlet 30 and a passage 31 formed vertica'lly through the lower portion of the coupler head and to the mid level thereof. This passage then extends either obliquely through the upper portion of the coupler head, as indicated at 31, Fig. 2, to an opening or outlet 32 on the top of the head, so that a central verticalpull can be given to the flexible member or chain, or througha port 33 in the side wall of the head so that a substantially horizontal pull can be imparted to the flexible member or chain. In Fig. 2, the broken lines 29 passing from the lower end of the lifter to the openings 32, 83 indicate approximately the positions of the center lines of the flexible member or chain of the two systems referred to.

It is obvious that many changes'may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts of my improved coupler, without departing from my invention, since What I claim is 1. In a car coupler of the character described, a swinging knuckle, a knuckle opener, a floating lock adapted to be moved bodily in a vertical direction and havinga gravity engagement with a lifter, the said lifter having an engagement with a guide on the under side of the coupler head for guiding the lifter in a vertical direction for lifting the lock, and means for moving the lifter vertically independent of the knuckleopening mechanism to actuate the lock and for tilting it transversely of the coupler head when it is released from engagement with the guide to actuate the knuckle opening mechanism.

2. In a car coupler of the character de I scribed, a swinging knuckle and knuckle opener, a floating lock adapted to be moved bodily in a vertical direction independently of the knuckle opener, a lifter for the look, a guideway on the coupler cooperating with a portion of the lifter to guide'it vertically, trunnions on the lifter about which the lifter is rotated to actuate the knuckle opener when the lifter is freed from engagement with the guideway.

3. In a car coupler of the character described, a swinging knuckle, a vertically and bodily movable lock, a lifter for the lock, a knuckle opener having a recessed portion for engagement with the lifter and a rearwardly extending arm comprising a floating fulcrum about the vertical axis of which the knuckle opener rotates. 4 4. In a car coupler of the character described, a lock-set ledge in the coupler cavity, a swinging knuckle, a floating lock adapted to be lifted vertically and to tilt when in raised position on to the lock-set ledge, a lock lifter, and a knuckle opener, the knuckle opener comprising means operable by the lifter for simultaneously opening the knuckle and removing the lock from the lock-set ledge.

5. In a car coupler of the character described, a swinging knuckle, a floating lock adapted to be moved bodily in a vertical direction, a projection on the head of the look, a lifter for the lock, the headof the lifter being adapted to underlie the said projection and to lift the lockthereby, a knuckle opener and means for tilting the lifter transversely of the coupler head after the lock has been raised to actuate the knuckle opener.

6. In a car coupler of the character described, a swinging knuckle, a lock, a lifter for the lock, and an opener actuated by the lifter and having one end positioned on the coupler shank and its other end engaging the knuckle, the last-named end being adapted to be moved into a position outside of the contour face of the coupler head and thereby positively swing the tail of the knuckle outside of said face.

7. In a car coupler of the character described, a swinging knuckle, a lock, a knuckle opener and a device for lifting the lock and actuating the knuckle opener, the knuckle opener having a forwardly extending arm cooperating with a horizontal slot in the upper portion of the knuckle tail, and a rearwardly extending arm comprising a floating fulcrum for the opener about which it rotates in a vertical axis, the actuating device having an engagement with the central portion of the knuckle opener and being adapted to move it transversely of the coupler head. r

8. In a car coupler of the character described, a swinging knuckle and a lock, the knuckle having an elongated tail, the said tail having, when in locked position, both its front and rear faces inclined rearwardly toward the line of draft, a pulling lug on the front face of the knuckle tail intersecting the longitudinal center line of the coupler head, having surfaces for the lock upon the front wall of the coupler head, one being above and the other below the knuckle opening, and a recess on the lock cooperat ing with the pulling lug for transmitting draft stresses through the lock to the said bearing surfaces. I

9. A car coupler having a lock-set ledge in the coupler cavity, a swinging knuckle, a floating lock, a lock lifter, and a knuckle opener, the lock lifter comprising means for raising the lock and seating it on the lockset ledge, and the knuckle opener compris ing means for releasing the look from the ledge and for supporting it when the knuckle is in opened position.

10. In a carcoupler, having a knuckle; a lock;'a lock-lifter; a knuckle-opener; and a lock-set seat on the coupler-head, said opener being adapted to move into engagement with said lock to shift the same from the lock set seat and to maintain said lock in an elevated position while the knuckle is open and to allow it to drop into locked position when the knuckle is closed.

11. In a car-coupler, having a lock, a a-ntln eintain it in its elevated position and knuokle, a lock-lifter, and a knuckle-opener, allow it to drop, upon closing of the knuckle, said lifter having an engagement with the t0 locked position.

lock adapted to raise said lock and shift it JOHN WILLISON. onto a lockset seat, the knuckle-opener hav- Witnesses:

ing an engagement with the lock adapted to JOSEPH WILLARD,

remove said lock from said lock-set seat l/VALTER J. SKERTmI.

Cppies of vthis patent nigy he obtained for {We cents each, by add re s s ing the c o n m i ssi oner o f Eateuts,

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